Our Mission

The Mission of the Institute is to provide an independent forum for those who dare to read, think, speak, and write in order to advance the professional, literary, and scientific understanding of sea power and other issues critical to national defense.

Theirs Is to Reason Why

Deciding when and how to close with an enemy may be the least important decision leaders make on an asymmetric battlefield.

The challenge the Army faces today is not one of over-thinking situations, rather it is the failure to think clearly in situations that require sound judgment at junior levels, and leadership's hesitation to believe that juniors can or will think clearly. Soldiers and junior leaders who are trained or conditioned to look at the situation - to assess, exercise judgment, and make a decision - are more decisive, deliberate, and correct in their actions. This is particularly important in the complex environment of full-spectrum operations. The most important capability needed for the future Army of 2030 and beyond are thinking Soldiers and junior leaders who seek the "why" of a situation, task, or directive. They are interested in this primarily to understand and make better use of the purpose behind it. But the future is now.

This content is only accessible by current members. Please login to view the full content.

Not a Member yet? Learn more about the exclusive benefits you'll receive!

Major Vandergriff is a senior analyst in leader and Soldier development at the Army Capabilities Integration Center Forward in Crystal City, Virginia. He served 24 years on active duty as an enlisted Marine and Army officer and has written 50 articles and four books including Path to Victory: America's Army and the Revolution in Human Affairs (Presidio Press, 2002).

More by this Author

None found for this author.

Related Content

truth@readiness.mil

The readiness crisis facing all the services has generated a host of solutions: more spare parts... Read More

Theirs Is to Reason Why

Deciding when and how to close with an enemy may be the least important decision leaders make on an... Read More